Analogy: (This one makes me think of the campfire scene in blazing saddles even though it’s only partially relevant)…

You only open the lid on a new can of beans when there isn’t enough in the current can to feed the family.

Underlying Concept: One of the key ways of delivering maximum throughput on teams is to limit WIP (work in progress/process). Teams inexperienced at this tend to start additional items or “break the seal” on new work when blocked or when a team member has completed their last personal task. We need the team to take a hard look at the work at hand, consider swarming around a given item or story and only open the lid on a new item if there really is no additional value to be gained from another member of the team helping out on the current top priority item.

This works on many levels – here’s a few…

Every time you open a new can you risk not finishing it all and having to throw the leftovers away.

Opening too many cans and forcing the family to eat them all causes bloating.

Eating excess beans takes longer and leaves no room for dessert.

Unfinished cans in the refrigerator tend to get pushed to the back and go moldy.

Very few people like cold beans for leftovers. (actually – sometimes I do)